Michael Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor at Harvard Business School. Michael's research focuses on the behavioral science of well-being, with particular attention given to happiness and spending, income inequality, the IKEA effect, and, most recently, rituals.

His research has appeared in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, and The New York Times, as well as in academic journals like Science, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His "How to Buy Happiness" TEDx Talk has been viewed over 4.5 million times, and his work has been parodied by The Onion, and the answer to Final Jeopardy.

In 2013, Norton co-authored Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending with Elizabeth Dunn. In 2024, he published The Ritual Effect, which explores the surprising and versatile power of rituals.